


Beside the Dying Fire

by legolastariel



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-08-09 18:21:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7812310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/legolastariel/pseuds/legolastariel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>“Go on, there’s the door. You can do better? Let’s see how far you get. – No takers? Fine! But get one thing straight – you’re staying, this isn’t a democracy anymore.”</i> </p><p>That said, Rick walks away from a group that just looks at him with shock and distrust all of a sudden.<br/>The silence is broken, as Daryl of all people speaks up and sides with Rick.  </p><p>  <i>“ Ya’ll oughta be ashamed of yerselves!”</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Beside the Dying Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Season 2 pretty much had an open end and I was wondering, what may have happened after Rick gave his angry speech at the end of episodes 2x13.  
> This is my version of it. 
> 
> Missing scene fic

Beside the dying fire  


 

\--- Missing scene set after episode 2x13 ---

 

Rick’s angry voice still echoed between the walls of the secluded little ruin they had set up camp for the night in. His final words, before he had walked out into the dark, alone, were still crystal clear in everyone’s mind.

_“Go on, there’s the door. You can do better? Let’s see how far you get. – No takers? Fine! But get one thing straight – you’re staying, this isn’t a democracy anymore.”_

Now that their leader had left, the rest of the little group remained rooted to their spot, looking at each other in shock and irresolution as to what to do next. Maggie clung to Glenn and Beth to their father, both looking scared and lost and hoping to find help and guidance in the men closest to them, yet either one, Glenn and Hershel alike, were at a loss for words. 

T-Dog stood frozen on top of the walls, staring out into the dark as though he was immensely busy watching the perimeters, while in fact he was unable to look at anyone. The same way he had been unable to hold Rick’s stare just a moment ago.

Lori was soothing the still crying Carl, who was cradled in her arms, sobbing like a baby after he’d heard his dad confess that he had killed Shane. Her own face only showed dismay and aversion and perhaps pity for her poor traumatized boy. No more. 

Carol couldn’t help sending Daryl a “See, I told you” look, as if the scene that had just transpired proved her right when she had uttered concern about Rick’s character and mental state. 

It remained quiet for a long moment, then suddenly Daryl’s angry snort cut through the silence and pulled the entire group out of their stupor. Surprised looks were cast his way and each and every one of them was met by a dark scowl. 

“ Ya’ll oughta be ashamed of yerselves!” 

He saw revolt flicker in the face of one or the other, but he stared them down mercilessly. 

“ We’re here! Alive. And we’ve come this far only thanks ta Rick! He’s right, Goddammit, anyone here thinks they can do better – let’s hear it! He’s always putting ya guys first, always tryin’ ta think for the best of all of us. Anyone here who’d want that responsibility? ‘Cause I sure as hell ain’t. I don’t know ‘bout ya people, I’m only a fucking Dixon, but where I come from ya don’t turn yer back on someone who’s always done right by ya first time they stumble. Maybe he could use a li’l help right now, not fucking reproaches.”

He took a few furious strides over to where Lori was sitting with Carl, not intending to hold back at all.

“ Stop crying, for God’s sake”, he chided the boy, before he turned to Lori, his eyes glaring daggers at her before she even had a chance to protest.

“ And _you_ , stop pampering that boy as though he had a reason ta cry. Ain’t it yer job ta stand by yer man? Didn’t ya swear that stupid “in good and in bad days” shit? Looks ta me days ain’t possibly getting any worse than now, so 's about time ya started.” He could barely refrain from slapping her face, when the dismay and aversion lingered on her face, while he talked about Rick.  
“ Ya think it was easy for him out there? His best friend betrayed him and was out ta kill him! He was forced ta shoot first ta save his life – _yer_ life, _all_ of our lives, for Christ’s sake.”  
He sent another glare around.  
“ Shane wouldn’t have gotten us this far. Shane was a bastard. Ya’ll know that! And _you_ ”, he turned to Lori once more, “ are takin’ the wrong side. If ya wanna feel disgust for someone, look at yerself, woman.”

He looked at Carl, who was staring at him with big eyes.

“ The better man’s left standing, y’know. Got no reason ta cry, Carl, ‘cept for yer ol’ man, who’s all alone out there.”

That having said he turned forcefully on his heels and stormed towards the opening in the walls that Rick had referred to as “door”. The people he left behind stared after him with their mouths gapped open, but their expressions had changed from shocked and concerned to downright ashamed. All of them. Deep down inside they knew that Daryl was right. The man they had looked down at when he first joined their group. The man who was, as he claimed himself, “just a Dixon”. Yet that Dixon had more honor and loyalty in his pinky than they possessed altogether and whether or not they were going to follow Rick’s lead further, was no topic any longer. 

Hershel couldn’t help smiling after the first surprise subsided. 

“ That must have been the the most he’s said in one go ever since I met him.” 

This funny and entirely true remark lifted the tension and smiles spread over their faces. All except Lori’s, but no one really paid attention to that. Carol looked over to the opening Daryl had just left through and made a move to follow him, when Hershel’s voice held her back.

“ Carol – stay. They don’t need you out there right now. I think it’s best to have Daryl talk to Rick in private right now.” 

Her protest was palpable, but she didn’t say a word, just gave in silently, her heart sinking once more.  
She knew he was right. She wasn’t needed out there. They didn’t need her. _He_ didn’t need her. In all this time she had dropped so many hints, had showed him in many ways that she liked him a lot, that she wouldn’t mind taking their friendship a step further, but as soon as she got too close, he would take a step back, avoid her, run. He flinched when she tried to touch him. If she dared to say anything that put Rick into a bad light, he would disagree, take up his side, defend him – always. If he needed someone to talk to, he would go and see Rick, never her. It was her following him like a puppy dog – he never sought out her company of his own accord.  
_Why do you need him?_  
She had asked him that only shortly before. He hadn’t answered that question, but a suspicion had grown deep inside of her for the longest time. There was something in his eyes when he looked at Rick. Something that was never there when he looked at her. Daryl liked Rick, that was obvious. He was unconditionally loyal to him and considered it his duty to protect and support him, no matter what. But _why?_  
Maybe he didn’t know the reason himself. Maybe they both didn’t know the reason, but it was obvious that they were drawn to each other. That time and again, all of a sudden, they just blinded out the world and everyone else around them for just a moment, secluded in their own private here and now.  
She remembered the moment after Hershel’s farm had fallen and they all had met on the Highway, where they had left the supplies for Sophia. They had almost all made it out. They had found each other miraculously. And Rick, before even looking for his wife or anyone else, had hurried towards Daryl, reaching out his hand to him as though he was reaching for a lifeline, totally ignoring her, Carol, in the process. She wasn’t there. Lori wasn’t there. Nobody was for just that moment. All that had mattered was Daryl.  
Carol breathed in deep. Maybe she was just seeing things. Maybe it was all just in her head. She would keep on trying to win Daryl’s heart, but for now, out there in the dark, outside these walls, he didn’t need her. They didn’t need her.

 

Rick hadn’t walked far. It wasn’t safe and it wasn’t necessary to go far – he just had to get out of those walls, away from the shocked and hostile faces, away from the deafening silence that had hit him harder than any fist could have.  
He was staring out into the dark with watchful eyes, his entire body stiff with tension, aware of everything that was happening around him. He heard the soft footsteps behind his back and without even looking, he knew who was approaching there. 

Daryl came to stand beside him, giving him a quick scrutiny, but kept quiet. He figured, if Rick wanted to say anything, he would when he was ready to. And so he did only few moments later.

“ Thank you.”

“ For what?”

Rick kept staring ahead of himself when he replied.

“ I heard what you said in there. Guess, you’re about the only one who’s still on my side.”

“ Nah, they’re just scared.”

“ Yeah, of me.”

“ Of what ya did, not you. And now that I gave ‘em a good kick in the teeth, guess they got it that the only asshole to be scared of was Shane. Problem solved.” 

Rick couldn’t help smirking at that for a second, casting Daryl a quick glance, before he turned away once more. 

“ Doesn’t seem to shock you what I did”, Rick stated matter of factly. 

For a long moment Daryl did not reply to that. He opted for staring into the same direction as the man standing next to him, trying to figure out what to say. 

_Why do you need him?_

Like an echo in his mind he heard Carol’s voice and couldn’t help shivering for a second, despite the warm summer night air. 

“ Carol … “ he started at last, for a moment thinking about spilling what exactly Carol had said to him. That she thought the group wasn’t safe with Rick. That she thought he was pulling Daryl down and that he deserved better than what Rick had to offer. That the younger man didn’t have honor. But he reconsidered quickly.  
In order to restore the peace in this group, it wasn’t helpful to tell secrets and opinions voiced in private. It was not for him to tell Rick about Carol’s thoughts. That was for her to tell him to the face or keep a secret. 

_“ Stupid bitch”_ , he couldn’t help thinking despite himself. 

He liked her a lot, but sometimes she was getting on his nerves immensely. 

“ Carol …”, he started over after taking a deep breath, “ has asked me earlier why … why I need ya.” 

His voice sounded choked. Talking about emotions wasn’t for him. He wasn’t a man of many words and not good at expressing his thoughts and feelings to anyone. And  
Rick turning his head toward him now wasn’t helping the matter at all. 

It was too dark to make out the expression on Rick’s face, but when he replied his voice was gentle, bare of all the anger and frustration he had felt before.

“ What did you say?”

“ Nothin’. I ain’t givin’ no explanations ta anyone. None of her business.”

Rick just looked at his comrad for a long moment, which had Daryl almost squirm uncomfortably. Then he said:

“ You should stop putting yourself down, you know. Stop referring to yourself as ‘just a Dixon’. Dunno who made you think so low of yourself, but you’re so much more, Daryl.” 

Daryl swallowed hard against the lump in his throat and then replied softly, more to himself than Rick.

“ That’s why.”

The younger man raised his eyebrows questioningly. 

“ Huh?”

“ All ma life, people only ever referred to me as ‘just a Dixon’. T’was all I ever was to them – including ma own family. A simple-minded piece of shit. A nobody. Nothing. No one ever cared if I was dead of alive. Got lost in the woods when I was a kid – ma mom was dead and ma ol’ man and Merle didn’t even notice for days I was gone. No one ever wanted ma opinion, cared what I felt or thought. Nobody ever trusted me or wanted to be friends.” He swallowed again when his voice threatened to fail him. “ You are the first, y’know. First who did all that.” He shrugged. “ Guess, that’s why I need ya. And why I’d never turn ma back on ya, no matter what ya do or say.” 

Rick was at a total loss for words. It was one thing to feel a bond to someone and see loyality and friendship in what they did, and another to hear it spoken out loud and clear and learn how deep the appreciation truly ran, and why. 

“ You know,” Rick said softly after looking at Daryl for a long moment, “I had a close friend for more than half of my life – and in the end he first meant to steal my wife and kid from me and then tried to kill me. And as for family – my brother never even came to see me in the hospital. Dunno what ever became of him. Lori cheated on me the moment she thought I was dead and Carl is scared of me and probably lost all respect.” 

He breathed in deep and took a step closer to Daryl.

“ Like I said, I guess you’re the only one who’s still on my side. Maybe that’s why I need you, too.”

For a long moment they stood opposite each other, looking the other in the eyes as far as they were able to in the darkness surrounding them, not saying another word. Words weren’t necessary. They communicated perfectly without them.  
Finally Rick said:

“ We should go back.”

Daryl gave a curt nod.

“ Yeah. Guess we should.”

The younger man gave the archer a friendly slap on the shoulder, then turned and headed back to the rest of the group, smiling to himself and his heart much lighter all of a sudden.

Behind him Daryl followed on his heels, looking at the lean figure that had taken the lead once more, his heart contrary to Rick’s growing heavier with each step they took.

_“ There’s another reason why I need ya”_ , he thought. _“ Maybe one day you’ll understand.”_

For now friendship was all Rick had to offer and that was more than Daryl had hoped to ever get – from Rick as well as anyone else. An unknown future lay ahead of them and a long road to follow and he wasn’t planning on going anywhere – not without Rick. He would stay at his side, no matter what. Showing him in any way he could how much he meant to him. That he loved him.  
But this was neither the time, nor the place to tell him. Maybe there would never be the time or place to tell him. That was a matter to worry about another day. Tonight he would sit vigil, watch over the most important person in his life and keep him safe beside the dying fire.


End file.
